85.1%
Mercedes-Benz SLC pass rate
Used Mercedes-Benz SLC buying guide
In 2025, Mercedes-Benz SLC cars passed 85.1% of 8,981 initial MOT tests, 12.8 points above the 72.3% UK average. Here is where it fails and what to check before you buy.
Looking at a specific SLC? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.
Mercedes-Benz SLC MOT record in brief
Initial MOT tests in 2025, retests excluded.
72.3%
UK average, all cars
+12.8
percentage points above average
Ranked on pass rate the SLC sits 119th of 575 models in the data. Mercedes-Benz as a brand averaged 77.1%, so this model runs 8 points ahead of its own brand. Mercedes-Benz SLC cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 89.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 84.4%.
A pass rate is not a reliability score. The full Mercedes-Benz SLC MOT record has the pass rate by age, every common failure and how the SLC compares with similar cars.
SLC fuel types
Petrol was the most common fuel among Mercedes-Benz SLC cars tested in 2025. Diesel still made up 31.1% of tests.
Where the SLC fails its MOT
Where Mercedes-Benz SLC cars that failed their 2025 MOT were marked down, as a share of all recorded failure items.
The specific items testers recorded most often were condition has ply or cords exposed (12.6%), condition has a cut in excess of the requirements deep enough to reach the ply or cords (9.7%) and coil spring fractured or broken (9%). See every common SLC MOT failure.
These are DVSA failure records across every Mercedes-Benz SLC that failed, not a claim that every SLC has these problems.
What should you check when buying a used SLC?
The areas above, most common first, and what an MOT tester looks at in each.
1
Tyres
Check tread depth across the full width of every tyre (the legal minimum is 1.6mm), and look for cuts, bulges and uneven wear. 38.7% of SLC failure items.
2
Suspension
Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters. 25.7% of SLC failure items.
3
Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment
Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting. 10.3% of SLC failure items.
4
Brakes
Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing. 9% of SLC failure items.
5
Noise, emissions and leaks
Listen for a blowing exhaust, watch for smoke on start-up and look under the car for oil or fluid leaks. 6.1% of SLC failure items.
None of this replaces the car's own record. Run a free MOT history check on the registration to see every test, advisory and recorded mileage for that car.
What the MOT record doesn't tell you
Knowing Mercedes-Benz SLC failures cluster around tyres and suspension tells you what to inspect. It tells you nothing about whether the car is safe to buy. An MOT does not show money still owed on the car, a write-off, a theft record or a clocked odometer.
Check the exact SLC you are looking at. One £15 report, instant results, backed by a £30,000 data guarantee. More on the Mercedes-Benz history check.
- Outstanding finance
- Write-off records
- Stolen markers
- Mileage history
- Previous keepers
Other used Mercedes-Benz models
The most-tested Mercedes-Benz models in 2025, with how their MOT pass rate compares with the SLC.
- Used Mercedes-Benz A-Class 78.4% MOT pass rate
- Used Mercedes-Benz C-Class 74.7% MOT pass rate
- Used Mercedes-Benz E-Class 77.4% MOT pass rate
- Used Mercedes-Benz GLA 83.3% MOT pass rate
- Used Mercedes-Benz Vito 67.3% MOT pass rate
- Used Mercedes-Benz GLC 86.4% MOT pass rate
See all 35 Mercedes-Benz models ranked by MOT pass rate.
Used Mercedes-Benz SLC FAQs
Is the Mercedes-Benz SLC reliable?
MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is an 85.1% first-time pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz SLC across 8,981 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.
Do older Mercedes-Benz SLC cars fail their MOT more often?
Mercedes-Benz SLC cars aged 3 to 5 years passed 89.2% of MOT tests in 2025; for examples aged 6 to 10 years that fell to 84.4%. On an older example, the car's own MOT history tells you more than the model average.
What should I check before buying a used Mercedes-Benz SLC?
On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: tyres, suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's history: outstanding finance, insurance write-off records, stolen markers, mileage and previous keepers. None of these appear in the MOT record or on the V5C.
How do I check a Mercedes-Benz SLC's history?
Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.
MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability.